Why would this reprimand bother Mattie more than another reprimand in Fever 1793?On the way to the Ludington's, grandfather told Mattie she was turning into a "regular scold".

On the road to Ludington, Mattie's grandfather tells Mattie that she is "turning into a regular scold." I believe that this reprimand might be more hurtful to Mattie than another for a couple of reasons. First of all, the reason her grandfather makes the comment is because Mattie has just snapped at the driver of the wagon,

On the road to Ludington, Mattie's grandfather tells Mattie that she is "turning into a regular scold." I believe that this reprimand might be more hurtful to Mattie than another for a couple of reasons. First of all, the reason her grandfather makes the comment is because Mattie has just snapped at the driver of the wagon,

The driver had been questioning whether grandfather was in good health or not; if grandfather was ill, the farmer would not take him along, for fear of contracting the fever. Mattie had responded in defense of her grandfather, and in so doing, had been reprimanded for being a scold. Grandfather's words must have stung Mattie especially hard, since she had only been trying to stick up for him.

A more significant reason Mattie might have been so bothered by grandfather's specific comment is because of what he says immediately afterwards. After calling her a scold, grandfather says,

"You sound like your mother, ordering menfolk around."

Mattie's mother is most definitely a scold, having been embittered by the early death of her husband and the necessity of supporting herself and her daughter alone. To her constant frustration, Mattie is most often the focus of her mother's sharp tongue, and to have her grandfather tell her that she sounds just like her mother must have been quite a blow (Chapter 11).